SB 484 
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SB 484 

C2 H3 

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

FRANKLIN K. LANE. SECRETARY 

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE 

STEPHEN T. MATHER. DIRECTOR 



CANADIAN 
NATIONAL PARKS 



ADDRESS 

BY 

HON. J. B. HARKER 

Commission of Dominion Parks, Department of Interior, Canada 

DELIVERED AT THE NATIONAL PARKS CONFERENCE 
AT WASHINGTON. D. C, JANUARY 5, 1917 




WASHINGTON 

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 

1917 



D. of 

JAM 2': . 



SB+sf 

, Qz. /■/ 3 CANADIAN NATIONAL PARKS. 

By J. B. Haekin, in Charge of National Parks, Dominion of Canada. 

Mr. Chairman, ladies, and gentlemen, I really did not come here 
prepared to tell you of the competing scenery of the north. I think 
while nothing would give me more pleasure than telling you of what 
our scenery is, and why we think it is in its way, as yours is in a 
different way, in a class superior to all others, I would rather speak 
simply of the general question of national parks. 

There is one thing I must say at the outset, and that is that I very 
much appreciate the action of your parks department in inviting me 
to attend this conference. I know, sir, from what I heard here yester- 
day and to-day and from what the program for to-morrow promises 
that I shall return to Ottawa with a fund of useful information and 
suggestions and ideas and, what is perhaps best of all, renewed 
inspiration with respect to the work we are all engaged in. 

If there is one thing in regard to which I envy your parks organi- 
zation more than another, it is in regard to the enthusiastic and very 
efficient help w 7 hich 3^011 receive from various public-spirited organi- 
zations. I have in mind the American Civic association, the Women's 
Federation, and numerous others. I think you are also fortunate 
in regard to the class of men — Mr. Mather, for instance — who have 
thrown themselves into the work. Everything you do and every- 
thing the association behind you do, with respect to national parks 
in the United States, contributes and contributes materially to the 
momentum of the national parks' cause in Canada. It is with 
pleasure, sir, that I have an opportunity to bear testimony to this 
fact. Much has been done for your parks by your Secretary of the 
Interior. I believe, sir, that he was born in Canada, and therefore 
when I realize how much your parks' work does for us, I feel that 
Canada has not poorly repaid you when it gave you such a man for 
your Interior portfolio. 

In Canada the parks organization at present deals w 7 ith three 
varieties of parks: they are the scenic parks corresponding to your 
Yellowstone and Yosemite ; animal parks, in which we preserve near 
extinct native animals, such as buffalo and antelope; and historic 
parks, located at points where events of critical importance in the 
life of the nation have transpired. Of course all our parks are main- 
tained as wild-life sanctuaries, and possibly on this account we have 

•J2318— 17 3 



4 CANADIAN NATIONAL PARKS. 

been given to understand that the parks organization must take 
over the administration of the migratory-bird treaty and the admin- 
istration of the wild life of the Northwest Territories. 

The Northwest Territories extend from the northern boundary 
of the prairie Provinces as far toward the North Pole as Canadian 
authority extends. The eastern boundary is Hudson Bay and the 
western the Yukon Territory. That comprises an area of about 
a million and a half square miles of land — and some ice. 

When I first received an invitation to this conference I was under 
the impression that it was to be of the same character as previous 
national-parks conferences; that is, that it was to be primarily a 
round-table conference for the discussion of ways and means; that 
the discussions would relate primarily to the practical work in the 
parks themselves. I received a program the da}' I left Ottawa, 
and then found that the conference had been planned on a very 
much larger scale. I came here expecting to discuss the practical 
business side of parks. I recognize that the detail of such a discus- 
sion would not be suitable for a conference of this kind. However, 
there is one detail of parks administration to which I want to refer 
in passing. 

Probably one of the most serious problems we all have to deal 
with in connection with national parks is the protection of the parks 
from fire. In Canada we have taken certain steps in connection with 
this subject, which we, at all events, think have been a distinct 
advance. The first is the development of a portable gasoline engine. 
We went on the principle that the most effective means of dealing 
with fire is water. We figured that since cities no longer used 
water pails for extinguishing fires, we should take a pointer from 
that fact and develop a portable fire engine. We now have a portable 
fire engine, which can be taken to any part of the mountains on 
pack ponies — in fact, you can carry two engines on a pack pony — 
and which can be handled very readily by two men. In actual work 
it has demonstrated its success, and the engine is now being adopted — 
has been adopted already — by a number of associations of private 
timber owners throughout Canada. I mention this simply as a sug- 
gestion, because, so far as I know, it is the first occasion on which 
a mechanical fire-fighting outfit has been developed for forest-fire 
work. 

There is one other feature of the fire work which I wish to mention 
and that is a campaign of education which has been carried out in 
connection with forest fire prevention. I mention it chiefly because 
I think the methods adopted can be readily and satisfactorily fol- 
lowed not only for fire education purposes but for many other public 
purposes as well. We recognized the necessity of a campaign of 
education with respect to forest fires because it is a fact that nearly 



CANADIAN NATIONAL PARKS. 5 

all forest fires originate from human causes; and it is also a fact 
that the individual who starts them does so through ignorance or 
carelessness ; he does not realize, for instance, that a match or a cigar 
butt carelessly thrown down in the forest, or a smoldering camp fire 
left behind, may result in a huge forest fire. To educate the public 
it was felt that the campaign must involve a huge and continuous 
circulation and that the media used must be such that they would 
keep the educational information constantly before the general 
public. 

Being without an appropriation for a fire education campaign it 
was also recognized that the work must be carried on without any 
expenditure on the part of the Government. To meet these two con- 
ditions it was decided to endeavor to get manufacturers of articles 
in common and constant use to put fire warning notices on these 
articles or their receptacles. 

The responses of the manufacturers were prompt and favorable 
and the result is that education in regard to forest fire protection 
is constantly going on in Canada and that it is not costing the 
country anything. We began our campaign with the match manu- 
facturers. For several years practically every box of matches made 
in Canada has carried on it a fire warning notice. Xo one can 
take a match from a box without seeing this notice. 

We later on also got the ammunition manufacturers to adopt a 
similar plan, the idea being that when people were hunting, using 
ammunition and shells, that that was the time they were most likely 
to cause fires. Now all the ammunition companies in all of their 
shell boxes insert special fire warning notices which are worded so 
as to appeal to the selfish interest of the hunter. It is made clear to 
him that if he starts a fire through carelessness or any other cause, 
there may not be any game for him to shoot. The campaign was 
extended in many other directions. The tent makers of Canada 
have put fire notices in all their tents. Even the telephone directories 
have them now. I mention this simply to illustrate what a tremen- 
dous circulation you can get at no cost, and how you can reach the 
very people who are most likely to require the information you have 
to give. It has proved very effective with us, and I think that in 
other matters of national importance a corresponding course might 
prove effective. 

There is a point in connection with national parks which I would 
like to emphasize. At first sight your parks and our parks may 
appear to be competitors. In reality, I believe that all our parks are 
a benefit to yours and that yours are a benefit to ours. There may 
be an element of competition in so far as the railways are concerned. 
However, I think the railway men would be well advised if they took 
the view that I mention. I hold, sir, that every man who visits one 



6 CANADIAN NATIONAL PARKS. 

national park, whether it is in Canada or the United States, will 
thereby get a taste for what national parks alone can give him and 
that he will never be satisfied till he has visited other parks. He 
may come to Banff this year. He will then want to visit Yellow- 
stone next year. 

I have read articles by some Americans who seemed to think it 
was a catastrophe that so many Americans annually visited Canadian 
parks. To me it seemed that they should in reality rejoice that so 
many Americans were getting a taste for national parks and, if you 
will pardon me for saying it, getting such a good start on the right 
line. They should rejoice that those Americans, by virtue of their 
trip, are sent home better men and women, physically, mentally, and 
morally; that our parks have contributed to the vitality and efficiency 
of your people. Personally, I rejoice to see the figures regarding 
visitors to your parks jump up, because I then feel perfectly certain 
that a considerable proportion of those people are going to visit our 
parks eventually. 

I suppose, sir, from the discussions which 1 have heard here that 
one of the real purposes of this conference is to devise ways and 
means for increasing public interest in national parks and for in- 
creasing the number of visitors who annually go to national parks. 
You want increasing numbers to visit American parks. I want in- 
creasing numbers to visit Canadian parks. Why this desire? In the 
first place we all want to keep money at home; in the second we 
want to bring in foreign money. It is a perfectly legitimate ambi- 
tion, but I think you all agree with me that this commercial side of 
parks is only of secondary importance. If it is not, then we should 
not have the parks run as governmental institutions, but should hand 
them over to the railroads, just as we do mining and lumbering and 
such. 

But, sir, national parks are of much too great importance to hand 
over to any railroads. After all. they do concern the wealth and 
vitality of our people, and that in the end means the welfare of the 
nation. Therefore, it seems to me, that the nation alone should 
handle them. My reference to railway companies might suggest that 
our first missionary work should be with the railway people. At 
present I am afraid they concern themselves too much with the 
trippers, the people who travel out of curiosity, the people who 
travel largely in order that they may boast to their less fortunate 
friends that they have seen Banff. Mesa Verde, or the Yellowstone. 

It is quite true we want to see these people visit the parks, but we 
are much more concerned in the rest of the people who do not get 
the sort of recreation parks afford. These people need the parks, but 
so far as millions of them are concerned parks to-day might as well 
have a Chinese wall around them. I think Mr. Chamberlain referred 



CANADIAN NATIONAL PARKS. 7 

practically to the same point a few moments ago. It is all important 
that the national parks should be made available for all the people, 
and that is why our missionary work should be directed to convert 
the railroads. Personally, I am convinced that if the railroad people 
would look at this matter from a new standpoint they would not only 
be doing what I would call an act of higher patriotism, but in the 
end they would largely increase their own dividends. 

Let me put it this way: Suppose that 500,000 people who do not 
now visit the parks went to your parks next summer. Is it not a fact 
that the renewed capacity, vitality, and energy that these people 
would derive by virtue of that visit would mean in the end a tre- 
mendous acquisition to the national power to produce. And, sir, if 
we increase the national power to produce we increase the business 
of the railway companies. 

I have said we want increasing numbers of people to visit the parks. 
I sometimes think that we in parks work are really merchandisers. 
We have goods to offer that we want everyone to buy. But, unlike 
most purveyors of commodities, it doesn't matter how many custom- 
ers we have, our stock is undiminished. We are like the two old 
people in the Greek fairy tale who entertained Jove and his son. No 
matter how much we give our guests, we still have just as much wine 
left in the pitcher. The dispensers of all our other natural resources 
are bound in the end, if they keep disposing of their commodities, to 
find themselves in the unfortunate position of that illustrious old 
lady. Mother Hubbard. But our cupboard never gets bare, and, 
like most merchants who have superior wares to sell, our customers 
are our best advertisers. 

It is, I know, unnecessary to say anything to such a conference 
as this of the revenues which may be derived from tourist traffic, but 
I want to point out a peculiarity which distinguishes them from all 
other sources of revenue, and that is that there are no other taxes that 
people pay so gladly. And the interchange of travel between our 
two countries is bringing about a delightful international reciprocity, 
for the American tourists are helping to pay our taxes and the Cana- 
dians Avho go to your parks are helping to pay yours. 

Aside from all questions of revenue, are there any reasons why 
we should strive and strive constantly to attract more people to the 
national parks? I think that there are a great many, and to my 
mind the best possible reasons. 

The first of these is the one you have embodied in the slogan, " See 
America first." In other words, know your own country before you 

/seek to understand others. And in our national parks we have set 
aside the best our countries have to offer. They contain the master- 
pieces of nature in our respective countries. And I venture to say 
that the man who has seen the Grand Canyon of Colorado, the 



8 CANADIAN NATIONAL PARKS. 

Valley of the Yosemite, or our Canadian Rockies, has a new realiza- 
tion of his country. His conceptions are broadened, his imagination 
enlarged, and he will sing " My country 'tis of thee " or " O, Canada " 
with a new and deeper patriotism. 

However, the main reason why we want visitors in connection with 
parks is purely on account of recreation. After all, national parks 
are simply places of recreation in its broad sense. It needs no argu- 
ment to convince anybody that the public recognize the need of 
recreation. We have only to look at the millions of dollars that the 
public are spending on recreation. They spend very much more on 
recreation than they do on the necessities of life. We have only to 
look at the theaters, the picture shows, the ball organizations, the 
seaside resorts, the golf clubs, and the thousand and one institutions 
that exist solely to provide recreation. 

Now, in the national parks, we provide a form of recreation 
which we who are concerned in the work, at all events, believe is 
vastly superior to all other forms of recreation. Recreation, of 
course, is only a means to an end. It is, after all, nature's method 
of repairing the damage we all sustain in the struggle for existence. 
Life in the city is particularly hard on man. 1 once saw it put 
this way: "Life in the city squeezes the juice out of man like a 
lemon, and leaves nothing but the pulp." National parks exist to 
repair damages of this kind by providing means of recreation in 
the outdoors. Of course, all recreation in the outdoors is valuable 
in the matter of this repair work, but the best recreation of all is 
the recreation in the wilderness. I want to emphasize that word 
"wilderness," because to me it is the all essential point with respect 
to national parks. Other parks, city or suburban parks, all help 
the human unit in this matter of recreation but these parks are 
necessarily small, are largely artificial and are in reality, as an 
American writer once described them, simply " first-aid " parks. 
You have to go to the wilderness park to get the real results. 

Now the wilderness possesses something that is not to be found 
anywhere else and that can not be reproduced. Sir, you can not 
transplant the wilderness. We can transplant a strawberry plant. 
It will grow in our gardens but what of its fruit. It has lost that 
delightful tang which was its soul. Its spirit has fled back to the 
wilderness — its home. 

In a certain sense we who live the life of cities are like the trans- 
planted strawberry plant. As your own Lowell says: "Before man 
made us citizens, great nature made us men." There is something 
which has come down to us in our blood from our remote ancesters 
which is satisfied only by the wilderness — the home of our first 
mother — Mother Nature. There is no better example to explain 
what I mean than the grate fire. You know how we all love a grate 



CANADIAN NATIONAL PARKS. 9 

fire. It is not for its warmth. We might easily get more warmth 
from a steam radiator. But we all take a peculiar delight in blazing 
logs or crackling coal. It seems to me that something in our blood 
associates that grate fire with the camp fires of our ancestors when 
they lived the life of health and vigor and freedom around their 
camp fires in the wilderness. 

I am told that if you take one of your cultivated strawberries and 
transplant it back to the wilderness it will revert to type and 
regain that wonderful wild tang it had lost in the garden. 

Well, sir, we can not go back to the wilderness to live. We are 
committed to civilization, but we can see that there shall always be 
a certain share of the wilderness reserved so that all our people can 
go back to it at times and regain there some of the vitality which 
the city has taken away from them. The soil of the city grows a 
wonderful crop of dollars, but it grows a poor and weedy crop of men. 
Well, we want to make it possible for everyone to rotate his crops. 
To grow some dollars in (he city with all the rest the city has to 
offer, and then go back to the wilderness for a period and gather 
what might be called " coins of life." Because every mountain peak, 
every lake, the wild flowers, the air, and all the wondrous beauty of 
national parks are like the machinery of a mint turning out coins of 
life, representing health, vitality, clarity of mind, moral efficiency. 

In this connection I want to read a paragraph written by an 
American writer, an American newspaper man, who had been in the 
habit of spending his holidays in the wilds of northern Canada. I 
read it simply to indicate what it means to a man to have gathered 
" coins of life " in the wilderness. The paragraph is: 

Canada — land of the sunshine and the snow, how big and beautiful you art'. 
Surely the God of all the earth never made another country like you. 

When I die I hope it will be somewhere that they will have to carry me out 
from in the bottom of a canoe — and my hist regret will be, not that I shall not 
see again those who are dear to me. because, please God, I shall see them again, 
but that nevermore, so far as I know, shall my eyes see the sweep of those 
dear northern hills and my senses be lulled to rest by the roar of the rapids 
and the incense of the balsam 'and the spruce. 

Mr. Chairman, I think you recognize that national parks are a 
much bigger question than a mere getting of tourist revenue or a 
mere matter of carding passengers. In Canada we who are charged 
with parks matters believe they concern the very life of the nation 
We claim it is our first duty to see that every person is given an 
opportunity to gather some of these " coins of life." At present one 
of the most important matters in connection with national parks, it 
seems to me, is the necessity of more and still more parks, not simply 
parks such as you have and we have located in the West, but parks 
everywhere, and particularly parks nearer the large cities. 



10 CANADIAN NATIONAL PARKS. 

Before I sit down I want to refer briefly to what the Canadian 
soldiers are doing in France. We in Canada take a very special 
pride in their accomplishments, and there seems reason to believe that 
to a considerable extent, at all events, the resourcefulness and courage 
and energy which they have shown on the battlefields of Europe have 
been due to the habits of the outdoor life which they lived in Canada. 
You all know that on the whole the people of Canada live the outdoor 
life. 

In conclusion I would say this: We who are concerned in parks 
believe that the best and most important step in connection with pre- 
paredness — a matter which, I believe, has received more or less con- 
sideration in this country of late — is the building up of a strong and 
virile race. We are also equally convinced that national parks, and 
what national parks stand for properly developed, will contribute 
materially, and very materially, to this end. I thank you. 

o 



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